The sense of optimism around the remade Giants offensive line almost lasted one full practice.
After spending $45.2 million in free agency on three new starters and hiring a new position coach to fix a unit that allowed a historic 85 sacks last season, the Giants are back to scrambling to plug holes because right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor was injured on the first day of training camp.
“The big thing with the offensive line is we’ve shuffled guys in and out the last few years for competition,” head coach Brian Daboll said before Eluemunor’s injury. “If we can get five [starters] going as quickly as we can, that’s what we’d like to do.”
The Giants made a bold (and revealing) move Wednesday by shifting Eluemunor from starting left guard to right tackle in place of the injured Evan Neal. It made a statement that Neal – a 2022 first-round pick who has been a bust through two seasons – will have to earn back his job instead of being handed an exemption based draft status whenever he returns from the Physically Unable to Perform list.
“He has to get healthy and then … how he plays and his contribution to the team will take care of itself from there,” general manager Joe Schoen said. “He’s not far off [from returning to practice].”
About an hour after Schoen spoke, Neal’s return became more important because Eluemunor was down on a knee as practice stopped.
He took an accidental shot near the ribs from Dexter Lawrence during a running play, was lying on his back on the sideline as he received medical attention and then walked gingerly back to the locker room alongside head trainer Ronnie Barnes.
Eluemunor, who signed a two-year, $14 million contract, was the No. 1-ranked free-agent offensive lineman by the Giants’ pro scouting department, Schoen revealed on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
Because he played under Giants new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo with the Raiders, Eluemunor has been key to the offseason offensive-line makeover, which adds to the injury’s significance.
“That was tough. Hopefully he’s OK,” left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “He knows what makes Carm tick. [The Raiders] offense was a little similar … [so] the language kind of translates. And he’s just a veteran presence. Physically, he’s dominated – a really strong guy, and I think that will help us in the run game.”
The Giants finished practice with Plan C: Josh Ezeudu at right tackle. No update was available on the extent of Eluemunor’s injury.
Ezeudu, who was overwhelmed at left tackle when Thomas was out last season, was the right tackle in place of Neal when Eluemunor was at left guard during spring practices. But the Giants opted to move Eluemunor and elevate Aaron Stinnie to first-team left guard rather than stick with Ezeudu.
“The health of that group can help everybody,” quarterback Daniel Jones said. “I think that’s important.”
All of it comes back to Neal getting healthy and rapidly improving from allowing 10 sacks and 81 quarterback pressures in 20 career games before suffering an ankle injury. Originally diagnosed last season with a sprain, Neal tried to practice before it was discovered he needed surgery to repair a small fracture.
Daboll sounded at the start of camp like he was open to a merit-based competition between Neal and Eluemunor. Neal opted to rehab his ankle away from the team facility in the offseason, unlike most other injured players.
“It’s day-by-day,” Daboll said. “[Eluemunor] is going to go in there. If he plays well, if he keeps playing well, we’ll revisit it when Evan gets healthy. He’s played well at right tackle in Las Vegas.”
The Giants used 14 offensive linemen in total last offseason, including nine who played at least 266 offensive snaps.
The acquisitions of Ezeudu, Stinnie and $30 million right guard Jon Runyan Jr. were supposed to help, but the Giants might not be done adding, whether that’s guard Greg Van Roten (who visited Monday) or another experienced tackle.
“The reality of this business is guys go down,” Thomas said. “We saw that last year – hopefully it’s not that bad. But the next guy has to be ready to step up.”
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